R5 Righteous Growth Mode
Learn from Volkswagen. Apply to your professional life.
Step 1 of 5
Research
Study the Volkswagen emissions scandal. What happened? Why was it a failure of business righteousness?
The Volkswagen Scandal (2015):
Between 2009 and 2015, Volkswagen installed illegal “defeat device” software in approximately 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide. The software detected when a car was undergoing laboratory emissions testing and activated full emissions controls — but during normal driving, it disabled those controls, allowing vehicles to emit nitrogen oxides (NOx) at levels up to 35 times higher than legal limits. The scandal cost Volkswagen over $34 billion in fines, led to the resignation of its CEO, and triggered criminal charges against former executives.
Between 2009 and 2015, Volkswagen installed illegal “defeat device” software in approximately 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide. The software detected when a car was undergoing laboratory emissions testing and activated full emissions controls — but during normal driving, it disabled those controls, allowing vehicles to emit nitrogen oxides (NOx) at levels up to 35 times higher than legal limits. The scandal cost Volkswagen over $34 billion in fines, led to the resignation of its CEO, and triggered criminal charges against former executives.
“This was not a mistake by a few rogue engineers — it was a systemic failure of corporate ethics, driven by the wrongful prioritization of financial gain over social and environmental responsibility.”
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